I did not realize North Hagerstown beat Brunswick last weekend. Wow, did not see that one coming.

Without having seen any other 1A teams outside the WestMac play I thought based solely on scores comparison that the teams to push the West would be Boonsboro, Brunswick, Perryville and Cambridge. It's too hard to tell. I don't mean to dog other team's schedules but me thinks they are really on the light side east of Allegany County. But that is why it's 1A ball.

Regardless of the last two weeks of the regular season I can see two West Region teams pushing the envelope post season.

Northern plays fundamental good hard football. Alleganys line been playing well. Allegany is deep in running backs. Blowe and Williams are getting more plays as they both return from injury. Allegany can not throw or defend the pass. 3 of the 4 games they lost this year were because of pass defense.

I didn't know they played Williamsport tonight. Anyone know the score? Not posted anywhere. ScoreStream has the game listed for tomorrow.

HOW ABOUT THOSE CHIEFS!!!!
THE CHIEFS IS STILL THE CHIEFS...............
6-0 Only Undefeated Team Left.....
Haven't Lost a Game Since Christmas Day 2023
#1 WR, #2 WR, #1 RB ARE ALL STILL OUT....
DEFENSE & PATRICK MAHOMES

It’s pointed towards the ground. If anyone knows somebody that can point it toward the field. I would love to watch the freshman game..

With East being a one year deal, I see that AG has a post on the WVSSAC board looking for a week 7 opponent for the next two years. Though they probably wouldn't have much interest in playing FH.

Warriors and Patriots will play for the youth league championship in both D1 and D2

NM

Between them going to Cambridge in the semi finals or someplace closer to home. They will only get win points from Smithsburg and (barring an Allegany upset) finish 6-3. Though in the big picture it probably wont make much difference.

I will gladly eat crow. Great game today. You handle the offence very well. Great job today.

I have not attended a Frostburg game. They are D2, they opened up Thursday at home I saw videos and pictures it look like a good atmosphere and good football. Some of the local players on the team: FH - Blake White, Anthony Palmisano, Cooper Silber, Alco - Brett Patterson, Zack Michael, Cayden Bratton, Ridge - Jeffrey Mckenzie, Hunter Clise,

On a funny note...
Talked with their head coach this morning of game day. They wound up staying at the Fairfield Inn in Cumberland last night and ordered D'Atris subs for dinner. I asked what he thought about his steak sub and he said it was good but had too much of the seasoned lettuce on it. I told him those are fightin' words - it's game on now! No one comes here and disrespects our seasoned lettuce. He laughed.

He thought Cumberland was beautiful. Didn't realize it was that old historically. Team walked the canal today.

Game is at 3:00. Gates open at 1:30. Soccer games this morning.

The best team they have played was Mountain Ridge. C'mon man. Don't want to play Cumberland schools and don't want to play anyone else either. Cant believe they would rather travle 3 hours to avoid a cumberland school 15 min away. What a wuss set up.

So I have stated on this board on several occasions that I believe #11 gives the FH offense more upside. Now on the other hand #11 is an outstanding LB as well. I don't think Alkire likes to have his QB1 playing both sides. Maybe it's not that beneficial to have #11 at QB full time. (losing on defense what he gains on offense. The old is the juice worth the squeeze theory). That being said, I don't think any team is game planning against the FH QB position at all. Wondering if Alkire has even considered putting Bender, or Ross under center, in the shotgun, the pistol, or even the wildcat for a series or two. With emergence of Younger, imagine Bender, or Ross, handing off or keeping the ball on some of those buck sweeps. I just don't think teams fear #11 or #8 with the ball in their hands the way they would be with Bender, Ross scaring the crap out of defenders, and opening up running lanes for Daniels, and Younger. Just a thought to change things up a bit. Give a different look. Take some pressure off the normal QBs.

before Alkire pulls the plug on this experiment? Hey Zack, just don't get into any professional trouble and you won't have to worry about professional retaliation from HR,

Anyone think this will be close?

A few points for consideration:

Is it right to be critical of any high school student-athlete on a public forum?

No, it isn’t - most student-athletes are minors, and all are still in high school.

I ask this: Would you accept criticism of your child or a juvenile family member on a public forum by uniform number or name based on athletic performance?

I would hope not.

Rightfully so, adults are critical of and aware of bullying on social media by other school-age children. Attacking a student-athlete on a public forum while the adult attacker uses a pseudonym is no different.

High school student-athletes are not paid to entertain adults. They play for the love of the sport, their teammates, and school.

Developmentally, high school student-athletes, like their peers, are impressionable and vulnerable.

If one feels the need to criticize a high school student-athlete on a public forum, that says much more about the adult who is providing the criticism than the one being criticized.

Coaches know best the nuances, skills, leadership, and character traits a student-athlete brings to the table.

Let them coach!

If constructive criticism is needed, trust that a coach will provide it.

Too many coaches are leaving such teaching opportunities because of disgruntled parents/fans.

There is already an issue with a limited number of officials in all sports, and there is a limited number of bus drivers to transport teams to sporting events.

There are specific reasons why this is the current state of affairs.

If you want the same to be true for student-athletes and coaches in the near future, keep up the criticism on public forums and see what the result is.

We can do better!

Tough year for the Leopards. A former Smithsburg coach told me last winter when Smithsburg agreed to a 3 year deal with Fort Hill, "If most every team is going to beat us by 50 points, it minus well be the best team." I chuckled when he said it, but I get it.

East/World of Inquiry will travel from Rochester, NY to Fort Hill next Saturday. They beat Brockport tonight 48-21 to improve to 5-1 on the season. Their only loss was to Christian Brothers Academy, who is the No. 3 ranked team in the state of New York.

Friday’s game in Frostburg marks another big matchup between the schools even if their slightly down compared to years previous. I thought I would compile a little bit of the history between the 2. Should note that I didn’t include the games played during the actual pandemic times.

ALL-TIME RECORD-
FH is 19-1 against Mountain Ridge. That record includes 4 postseason wins. The west region title game in 2010, and the last 3 state championship games. The average score for FH-MR over the history sits at around 40-11 so just under 30
points. However the games from the last 3 years have an average score of 32-27 FH. Mostly because of the disparity in the two 2022 outcomes.

Memorable Matchups-
1) 2008: FH blocks a field goal attempt at the gun to win the second ever meeting with Mountain Ridge 24-21. Kept a 7 win Miner team out of the postseason, and allowed FH to move towards an eventual title game loss

2) 2011: The Snow Game. Anyone who was there remembers it. Both teams were undefeated and they had played twice the year before. I don’t think they could’ve fit more people in the joint that night. The game failed to live up to the hype though as FH dominated after the 1st quarter and won 41-0. “Our Ridge Tops Your Hill”

3) 2018: 13 carries, 3 yards. Mountain Ridge’s best team in 7 years and perhaps their best individual player ever traveled to Greenway riding a 6 game winning streak in another highly anticipated game. It again failed to live up to expectations as an All-Time FH defense dominated all night long allowing less than 50 yards of total offense and a single first down that wasn’t surrendered until late 4th quarter. Ridge would miss the playoffs and FH would coast to a 5th championship in 6 years.

4) 2021: All Area In Annapolis. For years people wanted to have the potential of seeing area teams play each other for a state title and we got it in 2021. It marked MR’s first title game appearance and the first state championship game as a head coach for Zack Alkire. FH won a regular season meeting by 30 points, and would win the state title game in a 51-31 shootout.

5) 2022: Finally. It took 15 years, but Mountain Ridge was finally able to get the monkey off their back. For a night at least. Both teams were again undefeated and again favored to play each other for a state title later in the year. Mountain Ridge rode an energetic home crowd and a physical style of play to a 30-8 drubbing of Fort Hill to hand them their first loss to an area team since losing to Keyser in 2015. FH would win the state championship rematch on a last second field goal.

Bad weekend for Allegany County football. When was the last time, if ever, all three County schools lost on the same weekend.

Allegany plays St. James Thursday, should be a very close game